1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for removing the water from ash that has been quenched in the water bath of a ash discharger, this ash being removed from the water bath through a discharge shoot by means of a discharge ram. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
2. Background Art
In furnaces, the fuel that has been burned moves through a ash shaft into a deslagger that is filled with water and which incorporates a discharge chute that is curved in an arc shape and a discharge ram that can move back and forth and which moves ash that has been quenched in the water bath from the water bath to the outside through the upwardly inclined discharge chute (see, for example, DE-OS 25 39 615).
Because the ash is quenched with water it is, of necessity, completely saturated with water which causes problems with regard to its disposal or if it is to be subjected to further processing. One of the problems lies in the fact that the water that adheres to the ash is in part released during subsequent transportation. This can lead to the undesirable escape of water from the means of transport and, because of the fact that this water contains harmful substances, it can contribute to environmental pollution or to pollution of the ground water. Another significant problem lies in the fact that because of the water that it contains, the ash is correspondingly heavier, which leads to a considerable increase in transportation and dumping costs.